Carbonylation

The main commercial route to acetic acid is the carbonylation of methanol. Johnson Matthey Chemical Products business makes rhodium and iridium compounds as homogeneous catalyst precursors for this process. We also produce palladium homogeneous catalyst precursors suitable for the carbonylation of ethylene to methyl propionate, ethene to propionic acid, the oxidative carbonylation of phenol to diphenyl carbonate and routes to make polyketones from alkenes and carbon monoxide.